THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY Center for Academic Computing ESTABLISHING COMPUTER USAGE ACCOUNTS Writeup Revised: May, 1987 The Center for Academic Computing provides a computer facility for use by all of the academic departments and units of the University for research and instruction. In order to use the Center for Academic Computing facilities, a user must have a computer usage account. Each computer usage account must be supervised by a member of the faculty or staff who is responsible for the appropriate use of that account. Misuse of an account may result in the loss of user privileges at the Center for Academic Computing. To establish an account, an application form G32.1, "Application for Computer Use", must be completed and submitted to the Center for Academic Computing. Description of this form and a sample of a properly completed form are included in the University's General Forms Usage Guide, which is available in all University offices. Copies of these pages are also available at the Center for Academic Computing. The application forms are available at the Center for Academic Computing and in most Dean's offices. This application is for accounts on VM/CMS only. Use of other computers such as the Sun or NeXT computers are applied for separately. For the purposes of accounting and control of computer usage, six classes of computer usage accounts are maintained. These accounts are for instruction, course preparation, University-supported research, funded research, and excess-capacity research. Note that the Center for Academic Computing does not provide an account class for administrative purposes; all administrative work should be done by Management Services. However, in the event that Management Services cannot provide the necessary computing resources, administrative work may be done at the Center for Academic Computing by use of a funded research account. Described below are each of the classes of computer usage accounts. The account class is determined by its intended use and purpose. Please read the description for each class and determine which account classification best meets your needs before attempting to complete an application. a) Instruction Accounts Instruction accounts, commonly known as "I" accounts, are for use by students registered in a course where the use of the computer is necessary to complete specific course assignments. Each course and section requires a separate account. Instructors and their teaching assistants may not use these accounts. Except for special instances, all student information is received automatically through registration. After the account application has been processed, the instructor will receive and distribute to each student his or her own personal "join" card, containing the student's computer ID and password. Instruction accounts should be applied for well in advance of the beginning of the term in order to assure sufficient time for processing. Applicants should complete only the first two sections on the front side of the application. Only one system may be requested. Instruction accounts remain active only until the end of the semester. Therefore, if any student receives a deferred grade which will require the use of the computer beyond the normal termination date, the instructor must notify the accounting department of the Center for Academic Computing at 865-4772 that the account should be kept open for the extended period. b) Course Preparation Accounts Course preparation accounts, commonly known as "C" accounts, are for use by faculty and teaching assistants for the preparation of class materials and the testing of class assignments. A separate account is required for each course and section. Students may not use these accounts. Like instruction accounts, course preparation accounts are valid only for a particular course, and may not be renewed. Applicants for course preparation accounts should complete the top sections only on both the front and back sides of the application. "C" accounts require that an authorization or spending limit be approved by the Dean or his or her representative in the area in which the course is to be taught. These accounts may generally be opened one semester in advance, and they are valid until the end of the semester in which the course is taught. All Center for Academic Computing facilities are available to users with "C" accounts. c) University-Supported Research Accounts University-supported research accounts, commonly known as "U" accounts, are for use by faculty, staff, and graduate students in connection with their research (including thesis projects) where funds to pay for computer use are not available in their departmental or research budgets. Use of the computer for such research is paid by the Center for Academic Computing from University funds to the extent that such funds are available. The distribution of these funds is controlled by the Administrative Committee on Research (ACOR). Each college has an ACOR member who is authorized to approve the expenditure of these funds. Applicants for these accounts should complete only the first section on the front of the application, and the middle section on the back. The application should be forwarded in duplicate to the appropriate Dean or ACOR member for an approval signature. These accounts are valid for approximately one year, and may be renewed annually. All Center for Academic Computing facilities are available to users of "U" accounts. d) Funded Research Accounts Funded research accounts, commonly known as "P" accounts, are for use by faculty, staff, and their assistants on projects supported by external sources of funds such as grants and contracts, or by departmental funds such as the General Fund. Administrative work which cannot be performed by Management Services may also be done on a "P" account. Applicants for funded accounts should complete only the first section on the front of the application, and the last section on the back. The application should be forwarded in duplicate to the appropriate Dean or Administrative Officer for an approval signature. All computer costs on a funded account must be paid by an Interdepartmental Transfer (IDT) which will be prepared monthly by the Center for Academic Computing and mailed to the billing address given on the application. No monies are encumbered or transferred from the user's budget until the IDT is processed. The account is valid until the account termination date specified on the application. This date should normally be the expiration or renewal date of the contract or grant. All Center for Academic Computing facilities are available to users with "P" accounts. e) Excess Capacity Accounts Excess capacity accounts, commonly known as "X" accounts, are for use by faculty, staff, and graduate students for projects of lesser importance. These accounts are similar to U accounts except that they are valid only when the Center for Academic Computing has excess capacity available. They are applied for in the same manner as a U account, and they require the signature of the appropriate Dean or ACOR member. These accounts are valid for approximately one year, and may be renewed annually. All Center for Academic Computing facilities are available to users of X accounts; however, any attempt to log on to INTERACT or VM/CMS with an X account outside the stated hours will be aborted, and any batch job submitted will fail with a JCL error message. f) Faculty Accounts Faculty accounts, commonly known as "F" accounts, are for the personal use of faculty which is not tied to a particular research project or teaching assignment. These accounts are intended to facilitate the use of the computer in the faculty member's everyday work environment. We hope the faculty account will enable faculty members to maintain an adequate level of computer awareness while encouraging more communication and exchange of ideas with their colleagues through electronic mail. F accounts are not valid for INTERACT. g) Other Account Classes Other account classes are used by members of the Center for Academic Computing staff for activities in support of the overall computer operations, and by persons or companies for work not directly related to the University. For information on non-University accounts, inquire at the Center for Academic Computing, Room 229.